ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. suit — clothes
  3. key — for a lock
  4. clip — for paper
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — in music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — a video
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com